Raiders get spanked again 38-17

The Raiders defense couldn’t stop Drew Brees and the Saints offense, while their offense didn’t put up much of a fight in an ugly, methodical 38-17 beatdown at the O.co Coliseum on Sunday. Oakland has now given up 135 points in the last three games in falling to 3-7.

New Orleans took a 21-7 lead at the half and then put the game away on Travaris Cadet’s 75-yard kickoff return and Mark Ingram’s subsequent 27-yard touchdown run to open the third quarter.

Ingram was untouched, which was a theme. Jimmy Graham — the Saints’ No. 1 option — was uncovered on a 1-yard play-action touchdown catch in the first quarter that made it 7-0. Later, Lance Moore broke free on a 3rd and 13 play, getting behind cornerback Michael Huff and safety Mike Mitchell for a 38-yard score and 21-7 lead with 48 seconds left in the half.

On one play in the fourth quarter, Marques Colston caught a 15-yarder and braced for contact. He was surprised no one was around him and turned around and started running. You can’t make this stuff up.

Brees finished 20-of-27 for 219 yards and three touchdowns. He has now won seven straight against the Raiders, completing 70 percent of his passes for 1,467 yards, 16 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.

Carson Palmer was shaky all day, and wasn’t helped by his receivers’ dropping passes or the interior offensive line getting shoved back into his chest. He threw a terrible pass under pressure that safety Malcolm Jenkins jumped and picked off and ran back 55 yards for a touchdown. That made it 14-0 with 4:06 left in the first quarter.

Marcel Reece and Juron Criner were the lone bright spots for the Raiders. Reece got the start at tailback, and the fullback did very well, running 19 times for 103 yards and catching four passes for 90 yards. Criner, the rookie out of Arizona, had three catches for 23 yards and a touchdown, a nice over-the-shoulder catch from three yards out in garbage time.

Denarius Moore, on the other hand, struggled. The receiver had one catch in six targets for 9 yards and lost five yards on a reverse.

Next up, the Raiders get to visit an old Irish-c0ffee drinking friend in Cincinnati. The comparisons to Hue Jackson can’t come at a worse time for new coach Dennis Allen, as his team seems headed off a cliff.